Sock shoe

ABSTRACT

A sock shoe has a single layer of base fabric having a volumetric configuration for receiving at least a forefoot portion of a user&#39;s foot. The sock shoe is configured with an upper portion for receiving a top portion of the user&#39;s foot and a bottom portion for receiving a bottom portion of the user&#39;s foot. The base fabric has a knit or woven structure that is resiliently elastic. An elastomeric coating is fused to the base fabric in a single-layer unitary structure to provide at least two of: (i) a retention function, (ii) a durability/foot protection function, (iii) a grip or anti-slip function, and (iv) an outsole function. The bottom portion having an outer-facing, ground-contacting surface and an inner-facing, foot-contacting surface, the ground-contacting surface including at least one outsole portion being formed of the fused elastomeric material, and the inner-facing, foot-contacting surface being formed of the fused elastomeric material.

PRIORITY

This application claims benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 63/300,931, filed Jan. 19, 2022, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein,for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The inventive subject matter is generally directed to a lightweight andsupple item of footwear that is constructed to provide an almostbarefoot experience. The footwear may be used in fitness activities likebane, Pilates, yoga, athleisure. It may also be used in sports outdooractivities like rock climbing (indoor/outdoor), kickboxing, surfing,standup paddle board wrestling, and other activities which would benefitfrom a more barefoot-like shoe. Participants in such activities desirean unencumbered foot, a barefoot effect for better proprioception,comfort, agility and aesthetics during their activities. They also mayprefer a barefoot aesthetic, with minimum foot coverage or disruption tothe natural contours of the foot.

Modern sneakers and athletic shoes do not serve such users well in anyof the foregoing respects. They are made of various layers of materialsincluding bulky midsole and outsole materials, insoles, and relativelyheavy and coarse upper materials, which may be in multiple plies. Theyalso require clunky or unwieldly fit and closure systems such as laces,tongues, Velcro ® fasteners, and cable systems. Such shoes are not onlybulky and clunky, but they are also heavy and lack breathability.

A simple sock might be considered as a solution that is lightweight.Socks are typically knit structures because of the inherent stretchinessof knit structures relative to woven structures. The stretchiness allowsthe sock to conform well to a user's foot when encased in a shoe. Butwhen not encased in a shoe, socks do not stay secured to a user's footduring activities—they slide around and can bunch up. They also do notprovide traction, durability or protection during activities.

Some attempts have been made to modify socks so that they have suchfeatures. They may have rubberized coatings on their bottoms or otherportions. However, such sock shoes, particularly knit socks, whileproviding some traction, durability or protection still suffer from theproblem of sliding around and bunching up. Therefore, there have beenattempts to address the problems. Some prior art shoe socks may go aboveankle to attain a secure hold on foot; or use they use bulky andinconvenient laces or straps to secure to the foot. They may also bemade of heavier or coarser materials that impact breathability ordetract from the natural aesthetics of the foot.

Accordingly, an adequate sock shoe has not been developed that fills theneeds of those seeking a barefoot effect and look during activities likebane and yoga, for example.

SUMMARY

A sock shoe has a single layer of base fabric having a volumetricconfiguration for receiving at least a forefoot portion of a user'sfoot. The sock shoe is configured with an upper portion for receiving atop portion of the user's foot and a bottom portion for receiving abottom portion of the user's foot. The base fabric has a knit or wovenstructure that is resiliently elastic. An elastomeric coating is fusedto the base fabric in a single-layer unitary structure to provide atleast two of: (i) a retention function, (ii) a durability/footprotection function, (iii) a grip or anti-slip function, and (iv) anoutsole function. The bottom portion having an outer-facing,ground-contacting surface and an inner-facing, foot-contacting surface,the ground-contacting surface including at least one outsole portionbeing formed of the fused elastomeric material, and the inner-facing,foot-contacting surface being formed of the fused elastomeric material.

In certain embodiments, the inventive subject matter can overcomeproblems in the prior art by providing a knitted or woven sock-like footcompartment that has a base fabric with more elasticity than aconventional knit sock. For example, the base fabric used in certainembodiments may have relatively more elastane fibers to provide moreelasticity, i.e., more resilient stretch, which will enhance how thefoot compartment conforms to the contours of a foot. Selectively addingan elastomeric coating to such a base fabric, according to the inventivesubject matter, offers further advantage, allowing the foot compartmentto retain an original shape and yet allowing stretch where needed.

These and other embodiments are described in more detail in thefollowing detailed descriptions and the figures.

The following is a non-exhaustive description of various possibleinventive lines under the inventive subject matter.

In one possible general embodiment, the inventive subject matter isdirected to a sock shoe that includes a foot compartment formed of asingle-layer, unitary structure of a base fabric. An elastomeric coatingis fused to the base fabric. The compartment includes two tiers of mesh,the first tier is defined in the base fabric, and second tier is definedin the coating. The sock shoe is resiliently stretchable and conformingto the contours of the intended user's foot.

In any embodiment, the sock shoe may have a unitary structure thatrepresents at least 50% of the surface area of the foot compartment.

In any embodiment, The base fabric may be a synthetic fabric comprisingelastic yarns. In any embodiment, the base fabric may be a knitstructure.

In any embodiment, the sock shoe may have one or more patterns or zonesof elastomeric material heat fused to base fabric or unitary structure,the patterns or zones providing a foot retention function, theelastomeric material having relatively less elasticity than the basefabric and forming part of the unitary structure. In any embodiment, thepattern may be configured to create tension around the user's instepand/or at least one side of the foot.

In any embodiment, the foot compartment may be configured to have atopline that fits under the ankle of the intended user.

In any embodiment, the foot compartment may be tongueless.

In any embodiment, the foot compartment may be laceless and free of anyretention system other than what is inherent in the single-layer,unitary structure.

In any embodiment, the sock shoe may include one or more outsoleportions formed of elastomeric material fused to the base fabric andforming part of the unitary structure.

In any embodiment, there may be a forefoot outsole portion and/or arearfoot outsole portion, and the midfoot is free or substantially freeof an outsole portion.

In any embodiment, the sock shoe may include an insole portion formed ofelastomeric material fused to the base fabric and forming part of theunitary structure, the insole portion coating the base fabric in apattern that provides grippiness and anti-foot slip.

In any embodiment, an elastomeric coating on outer surface of the footcompartment may enhance grippiness for interaction with other surfaces.

In any embodiment, the mesh openings of the second tier of theelastomeric coating may have a larger area than the first-tier meshopenings in the base fabric.

In any embodiment, the elastomeric coating may be configured in apattern that provides selective, anisotropic restriction stretchabilityof the upper in desired areas.

The elastomeric coating may be configured as one or more bands extendingover the top and sides shoe that are configured to resiliently stretchwhen receiving the user's foot and tension the sock shoe's upper on theuser's foot.

In any embodiment, the mesh openings in the elastomeric coating may havea diameter or a width of from 1 mm to 1.5 mm and the diameter or widthof the mesh openings in the base fabric are 0.5 mm to 0.75 mm, when bothmeshes are under static (untensioned) conditions.

In any embodiment, the mesh openings of the elastomeric coating may havea geometric shape configured for an anisotropic stretch effect.

In any embodiment, the mesh opening in the elastomeric coating may belarger than the mesh openings in the base fabric.

In any embodiment, the openings may have a hexagonal shape.

In another possible general embodiment, the inventive subject matter isdirected to a sock shoe that includes a single layer of base fabrichaving a volumetric configuration for receiving at least a forefootportion of a user's foot and configured with an upper portion forreceiving a top portion of the user's foot and a bottom portion forreceiving a bottom portion of the intended user's foot. The base fabricis a woven or knit structure that is resiliently elastic. An elastomericcoating material is fused to the base fabric in a single-layer unitarystructure to provide at least two of: (i) a retention function, (ii) adurability/foot protection function, (iii) a grip or anti-slip function,and (iv) an outsole function. The bottom portion has an outer-facing,ground-contacting surface and an inner-facing, foot-contacting surface.The ground-contacting surface includes at least one outsole portionbeing formed of the fused elastomeric material, and the inner-facing,foot-contacting surface is formed of the fused elastomeric material.

In any embodiment, the upper portion of the sock shoe may have on itsouter surface a coating of the fused elastic material in a patternconfigured to provide a foot-retention function.

In any embodiment, the elastomeric material may be deposited in apattern on the upper portion of the sock shoe that extends transverse tothe longitudinal axis of the sock shoe thereby being tensionable aroundthe foot of the intended user and retentive to the foot.

In any embodiment, the elastomeric material may be applied to the outersurface of the sock shoe and thereby also provides a grippy areas for auser to engage other surfaces.

In any embodiment, the sock shoe may have a topline that includes thefused elastomeric material, which is configured to provide afoot-retention function.

In any embodiment, the sock shoe may include a toe cap formed of thefused elastomeric material to provide durability and toe protection.

In any embodiment, the distal portion of the sock shoe may include oneor more toe openings to expose some or all of an intended user's toes.In any embodiment, any toe openings may include an elastic web structurethat tensions around the toe or toes of the intended user.

In any embodiment, the sock shoe may not include a rearfoot sectionand/or a midfoot/rearfoot sections.

The foregoing is not intended to be an exhaustive list of the generaland specific embodiments and features of the inventive subject matter.Persons skilled in the art are capable of appreciating other embodimentsand features from the following detailed description in conjunction withthe drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The appended figures show embodiments according to the inventive subjectmatter, unless noted as showing prior art.

FIG.1

FIG. 1A shows a top view of a shoe.

FIG. 1B shows a lateral view of a shoe.

FIG. 1C shows a medial view of a shoe.

FIG. 1D shows a front view of a shoe.

FIG. 1E shows a bottom view of a shoe.

FIG. 1F shows a rear view of a shoe.

FIG.2

FIG. 2A shows a top view of a shoe.

FIG. 2B shows a bottom view of a shoe.

FIG. 2C shows a medial view of a shoe.

FIG. 2D shows a front view of a shoe.

FIG. 2E shows a lateral view of a shoe.

FIG. 2F shows a rear view of a shoe.

FIG.3

FIG. 3A shows a top view of a shoe.

FIG. 3B shows a lateral view of a shoe.

FIG. 3C shows a bottom view of a shoe.

FIG. 4

FIG. 4A shows an upper portion of a shoe.

FIG. 4B shows a lower and heel portion of a shoe.

FIG. 5

FIG. 5A shows an upper portion of a shoe.

FIG. 5B shows a lower and heel portion of the shoe.

FIG. 6

FIG. 6A shows an upper and strap portion of a shoe.

FIG. 6B shows a lower and heel portion of a shoe.

FIG. 7 shows foot anatomy and shoe portions that correspond to certainanatomical areas.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Representative embodiments according to the inventive subject matter areshown in FIGS. 1-7 wherein the same or generally similar features sharecommon reference numerals.

The inventive subject matter is generally directed to a sock shoe havinga foot receiving compartment having a volumetric configuration forreceiving a user's foot. Advantageously, the entire foot compartment canbe a single-layer, unitary structure with multiple built functionsdiscussed below. In some embodiments the foot compartment has a low-topdesign with a topline that is disposed below a user's ankle. Low topsmay be desirable for certain activities like yoga, pilates, etc. Inother embodiments, it may be desirable for the foot compartment to havea high-top design with a topline that is disposed above a user's ankle.High tops may be desirable for certain activities like surfing,wrestling, etc.

The compartment includes an upper portion for receiving a top portion ofthe user's foot and sole portion having a first surface for receiving abottom portion of the user's foot and an opposite, second surface forcontacting the ground. The compartment is made from a supple,foot-conforming base fabric that has elasticity so that it resilientlyconforms to the contours of all sides of a foot.

A thermoplastic elastomeric material is heat fused to selected areas ofthe base fabric or other textile to create a unitary, single-layerstructure. On a bottom side of the compartment (sole portion), theelastomeric material may provide outsole functions. On the foot-facingsurface of the sole portion, the elastomeric material may be provided ina pattern and locations that provide anti-slip functions for the foot sothat the compartment does not shift on the foot during activities. Thefoot-facing side of the upper portion may also have a pattern ofelastomeric material that is grippy and anti-slip so the upper does notshift on the user's foot.

The elastomeric material may be applied in thin layers that allow thecompartment to remain flexible and follow the contours of the foot. Thematerial may be applied in a liquid or solid phase. Examplethermoplastic polymer materials include polyurethane, nylon, polyester,polyethylene, neoprene, and polyolefin. Liquid silicone rubbers althoughthey may not technically be a thermoplastic elastomer may be consideredas such for purposes of the inventive subject matter.

Patterns and shapes of the elastomeric material may be defined in moldswith defined patterns or shapes on sheet materials, which are die cut,laser cut, manually cut, etc. The processing of liquid materials into apattern or shape may be by direct application to a base textile or byfirst forming the pattern or shape and then applying the part to thebase material. Various techniques are known for fusing thermoplasticmaterials to textiles, including and heat sealing, high frequencywelding, injection molding, heat/pressure molding, laser welding,impulse welding, and ultrasonic welding.

The elastomeric material may be fused on the base fabric in a meshpattern that mimics a mesh pattern in the base fabric, although theopenings in the elastomeric mesh coating may be larger or smaller thanthe openings in the base fabric. In certain embodiments, the mesh fabric(in a static, unstretched condition) has mesh openings of from 0.5 mm to0.75 mm in diameter or in a width dimension, or thereabout such rangeendpoints, and including any points in the range. In certainembodiments, the overlying elastomeric mesh pattern (in a static,unstretched condition) has mesh openings of from 1 mm to 1.5 mm indiameter or in a width dimension, or thereabout such range endpoints.Accordingly, the inventive subject matter contemplates a footcompartment that can be made with a single, unitary structure consistingof a first tier of an elastomeric mesh fused to a second tier of basefabric. Moreover, the unitary structure could have additional tiers. Forexample, a foot compartment could have an outer tier of elastomericmesh, and intermediate tier of base fabric, and inner tier ofelastomeric mesh. The elastomeric tier(s) could also be formed withother patterns or shapes, in addition or instead of a mesh pattern.

Coextensive tiers of the mesh patterns of the elastomeric and underlyingbase fabrics may represent some or all of the surface area of thecompartment. For example, in some embodiments, they represent at least50%, 60%, 70%, 80% or more of the compartment's surface area. By makingthe compartment with at least a 50% mesh coverage, the sock shoeprovides enhanced breathability. The overlying elastomeric meshstructure also helps provide better foot retention, grippinessdurability and foot protection than an uncoated mesh base fabric.

The mesh openings of the elastomeric coating can have any geometricalshape. They may be circular, square, parallelogram, diamond, triangular,other polygonal shape, oval, irregular. The elastomeric coating on thebase fabric shown in the Figures has hexagonal openings. By making theopening asymmetric, e.g., diamond or oval, the mesh structure can betuned to provide more stretch in one direction versus another, i.e., thefoot compartment can an anisotropically stretch. In discussing sizes ofmesh openings, it is to be understood that a section of material mighthave a variation of sizes. So, in referencing or comparing sizes ofopenings, the average or predominant opening size in the section may beused as the size. For example, if one mesh pattern is being comparedwith another and the mesh openings are not uniformly sized, the averageor dominating sizes for each pattern may be used to compare one withanother. Further, the term “size” generally assumes diameter for acircular opening or a width dimension of a non-circular opening like asquare. In the case of other shapes, sizing comparisons may be based oncomparison of the average surface area of openings in each pattern,i.e., the surface area is considered a “size”.

As discussed in more detail below, selected areas of the compartment mayhave elastomeric material heat fused to the base material inpredetermined patterns or shapes to provide desired functions such asfoot retention features or durability and foot protection. Particularlysuitable elastomeric materials include thermoplastic rubbery materialslike thermoplastic polyurethane (e.g., TPU, KPU). (KPU is thermo-pressedpolyurethane liquid or PU liquid. It is available as Kurim ™polyurethane from Taiwan Kurim Enterprises Co., Ltd., Taichung City,Taiwan, https://www.kurim.com.tw/)

Accordingly, the inventive subject matter provides a sock-like shoe thatmay be based on a single layer of material with multiple functions builtin. Advantageously, the shoe does not require laces, tongues, binding,straps, insoles, heel cups, midsoles or other complicating systems orfeatures.

The shoe may be assembled from a pattern on a flat sheet of materialwhere the upper and bottom portions of the shoe are laid out. The basefabric is simply heat infused with the elastomeric material, and theupper and bottom parts are stitched or otherwise connected together toform the foot compartment.

Before looking at the inventive subject matter in more detail, anoverview of foot anatomy will help illustrate the invention andfacilitate a better understanding of it. The forefoot is composed offive toes and their connecting long bones, the metatarsals. Each toe, orphalanx, is made up of small bones, the phalanges. The big toe, orhallux has two phalanges, two joints, the interphalangeal joints; andtwo tiny, round sesamoid bones that enable it to move up and down. Theother four toes each have three bones and two joints. The second row ofphalanges is connected to the metatarsal heads by five metatarsalphalangeal joints at the ball of the foot, i.e., where the foot isnormally at its widest.

The midfoot has five irregularly shaped tarsal bones, which form thefoot's arch. The rearfoot is composed of three joints and links themidfoot to the ankle (talus). The top of the talus is connected to thetwo long bones of the lower leg (tibia and fibula), forming a hinge thatallows the foot to move up and down. The heel bone (calcaneus) is thelargest bone in the foot. It joins the talus to form the subtalar joint,which enables the foot to rotate at the ankle.

Now looking at the general construction of the inventive subject matter,FIG. 1 illustrates one of many possible embodiments of the inventivesubject matter. In general, a foot covering, or shoe sock includes acompartment for receiving a foot. Hereinafter, the terms “sock shoe” and“foot covering” may be used interchangeably. References to “intendeduser” or “user” mean the individual a shoe is designed for. Forinstance, the intended user of a size 8 shoe would be a typical personwith a size 8 foot.

Sock shoe 1 is shown with a foot-receiving compartment 3 having a top orupper portion 5, for securing the foot, and a ground-facing surface,bottom or sole portion 7. The upper portion includes a heel-coveringportion 6 for covering the backside of the heel.

The compartment 3 is formed of a thin and supple textile material, suchas a knit or woven fabric that is adapted to cover a foot. Thecompartment advantageously may be made using a single ply of material.The compartment has foot-conforming, sock-like nature that closelyfollows the contours of the foot of the intended user. For example, thecompartment may be formed of a lightweight, stretchable mesh material,such as a blend of polyester and elastane. The fabric may be a 4-way or2-way stretch fabric. In some embodiments, the base fabric yarns mayinclude the following mixture of materials in their respectivepercentages: 25-35% elastane with the balance being polyester, nylon,rayon, cotton, or like materials. An alternative elastic yarn is basedon Sorona ™ fiber from DuPont. Other fibers that may be suitable for usein the yarns or filaments of the base fabric include the following:polyester fibers, acrylic fibers, modacrylic fiber, nylon fibers,vinylon fibers, polypropyrene fibers, polyurethane fibers, polyvinyl,chloride fibers, polyethylene fibers, vinylidene fiber, polychlalfibers, benzoate fibers, and aramid fibers. natural and bio-based fibersmay also be suitable.

The fibers may be combined to form multifilament yarns and fabrics ofdifferent yarn blends.

In the illustrated embodiments, the foot compartment is full length,extending from the toes to the heel of the foot. Although not shown, insome embodiments, the shoe sock could leave the midfoot to rearfoot andor just the rearfoot visibly exposed and free of any surrounding footcompartment structure.

Turning now to the exemplary embodiments of the Figures, the sock shoeincludes a topline portion 9 that defines the opening to the volumetricarea of the compartment 3. Compartment 3 includes a toe section 11, aheel section 13, and a mid-section 15. The ground-facing surface 7 hasone or more thin and flexible pads or outsole portions designed tobetter protect the foot and provide traction. These outsole portions areincorporated into the sole of the sock shoe as a split sole structure,namely the forefoot portion 17 is separated from the heel portion 19.Such a separation allows the midfoot area of the shoe to be free orsubstantially free of outsole material and unconstrained by theless-forgiving nature of the materials used to form the outsoleportions. Accordingly, mid-section 15 of the foot is not protected byeither the forefoot or heel outsole portion but is part of the flexiblematerial of the compartment 3 that extends between the forefoot and heeloutsole portions. As illustrated in Figures, a heel outsole portion 19,119, 219, 319 usually underlies the talus of the foot at the heelsection 13.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show other embodiments of a shoe 101, 201, with partsbeing generally analogous or similar to parts of the embodiment of FIG.1 but with some specific differences described below.

The foot compartment 3 of any embodiment may be formed of a singlematerial or a combination of materials in different zones formed into asingle layer. Generally, thin plies of material are used to constructthe foot compartment, such as synthetic textiles that are knitted,woven, non-woven textiles, natural and synthetic leathers, which are allwell known to persons skilled in the art. As used herein “textiles” and“fabrics” are interchangeable terms and refer to any supple fiber-basedmaterial known and used in the footwear and apparel industries,including without limitation knit and woven fabrics made from interlacedyarns or filaments, and non-woven textiles like felted, matted, carded,spunbound/spunlace, air-laid, dry-laid, wet-laid, fiber-jetted, andelectrospun textiles.

In the embodiments shown in the Figures, foot compartment 3 includes athin, compliant upper portion 5. For example, upper may be made of asingle layer of a base fabric with knit mesh material that resilientlystretches. As described in more detail below, in manufacturing, the basefabric is processed to have elastomeric patterns or zones that providethe functions and aesthetics described below.

FIGS. 4A-4B show flat patterns that may be cut from a sheet material,e.g., a knit or woven textile. FIGS. 4A-4B correspond to sock shoe 1 ofFIG. 1 . FIG. 4A shows top potion 5, except for the covering of the backof the heel 6, which is included with the bottom portion 7, as shown inFIG. 4B. FIGS. 5A-B show the top and bottom patterns for the sock shoe101 shown in FIG. 2 . The top portion 105 is shown in FIG. 5A and thebottom portion 1077 and covering 106 are shown in FIG. 5B. FIGS. 6A-6Bshow the top and bottom patterns for the sock shoe 201 shown in FIG. 3 .The top portion 205 is shown in FIG. 6A (along with strap portion 208)and the bottom portion 207 and heel covering 206 are shown in FIG. 6B.The upper and lower portions for each shoe

have edges that are stitched or otherwise joined together to form acomplete footwear compartment, as persons skilled in the art can readilyappreciated from the Figures.

The foot compartment may be processed to have functional or aestheticpatterns or zones. For example, FIGS. 1, and 4A-4B show the sock shoewith a set of bands 21, 23 of elastomeric material disposed on the footcompartment 3. In general, the material is a thermoplastic that can fuseto the base fabric or any overlying coating. Example elastomericmaterials are as described earlier. The material can be applied to anyarea of the forefoot, midfoot, and/or rearfoot where desired stretch ortension, grip, and/or aesthetics are needed. It can be applied not onlytransversely to the longitudinal axis of foot compartment but also inline with the longitudinal axis, which can help limit distal-proximalstretch of the shoe. An effect of disposing elastomeric or otherthermoplastic material on the sock shoe may be to provide aestheticpatterns or designs, which may or may not also embody functionaleffects.

The bands extend over the instep or midfoot area of the compartment. Inthe embodiment shown, there are six spaced-apart, generally parallelbands 21 that run transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sock shoeand collectively cover from about the proximal end of the forefoot areato the distal end of the rearfoot area. The bands extend over the top ofthe foot to at least where the upper portion merges into sole portion.The bands may even extend fully across the sole for a circumferentialconfiguration. As seen in FIG. 1 , the bottom or sole portion 7 has asimilar set of banding across its width, which may be a continuation ofthe upper portion's bands and/or discrete or standalone bands. In themidfoot potion of the bottom of the compartment, smaller bands 23, whichare not full width, are disposed between bands 21. FIGS. 5B and 6B showsanother arrangement of elastomeric elements in the form of bands 123,223 in the midfoot section 15 of the bottom portions 107, 207 of sockshoes 101, 201. The embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 6A-6B, the upper portionof the foot compartment includes elastomeric elements 225 on the topportion between the toes and instep, and elastomeric elements 227 on theside portions, extending from the rear foot to about the end of theforefoot. In this example, the elements are curvilinear. These elementscan provide grippiness between the top of the user's foot and anothersurface.

The bands can serve one or more functions. A first function is as aretention system for helping to maintain the foot compartment on thefoot. The elastomeric bands can stretch and apply tension to a user'sfoot. The bands may be made relatively less elastic or stiffer than thebase textile material onto which they are applied. Other patterns orzones of material can be applied using relatively inelastic or partiallyelastic materials to selectively control stretchability or tension of abase textile.

Another function that bands or other patterns of the elastomericmaterial can provide is to enhance grip of the foot compartment to awork surface, e.g., a yoga mat, ballet bar, etc. The gripping materialin the upper portion may be the same or different from material used toform outsole portions.

As noted above, some or all of mesh base fabric may have an overlyingmesh pattern of elastomeric material thinly deposited over the basefabric, and heat fused to it, to create an overall mesh surface for thecompartment. The bands or other functional or aesthetic patterns may bedisposed over the coated base fabric or directly on uncoated basefabric. As seen best in FIGS. 1-2 , the foot-facing surface of bottomportions 7, 107 have an elastomeric coating in hexagonal, mesh pattern24 that can mimic the pattern on the outer and/or inner surface of topportion 5, 105. In the example shown, the mesh pattern on the upperportion 5, 105 has relatively smaller openings.

Another function of elastomeric material may be to provide durability ofprotective zones. For example, the sock shoes shown in the FIGS. 1-2include a toe-cap layer 25 of elastomeric or other thermoplasticmaterial over the distal toe area of the upper portion of the footcompartment. The material may be provided on the outer surface of thebase fabric material and/or the inner surface of the base fabricmaterial to provide a region that is resistant to wear and providesprotection to the tips of the toes. The covered area may extend over thetops of the distal phalanges of the toes, over the front of the distalphalanges and/or under the distal phalanges. In other embodiments, thecoverage may extend fully or partially from the tips of the distalphalanges and partially or fully over the middle phalanges, as well. Thetoe cap may not only protect the user's toes from external surfaces orobjects but may also serve as a reinforcement area to prevent a user'stoenails or toes from tearing or rupturing the base fabric.

Another function of the elastomeric material is to make the opening ofthe foot compartment, i.e., the topline 9, retentive on the foot. Bydisposing elastomeric material 27, 127 on the top line of the basetextile, the topline can be made resiliently stretchable and retentiveto the foot. Accordingly, the need for a separate binding system likelaces, a drawstring, or strap is eliminated. Similarly, if the sock shoehas toe compartments, the openings of the toe compartments can include acoating of elastomeric material circumferentially (fully or partially)around the openings for retention around the toes.

FIGS. 2, 5A, show another example of a pattern of elastomeric materialon the bottom of the shoe but with the upper having no particularpattern.

The layer of elastomeric material may be applied by techniques describedearlier as well as other techniques like heat jet-printing or melting offusible fibers or yarns included in the base fabric or textile (See,e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,288, which is hereby incorporated byreference), spray coating, or any other suitable technique. Any suchtechnique may result in the elastomeric material being a depositedcoating on the surface of the base textile and/or infused into thestructure of the textile. In any case, the heat fusing of the materialresults in a single-layer, unitary structure of base fabric and fusedmaterial. Different areas of the sock shoe may have elastomeric patternsor features with different properties based on, for example, use ofdifferent materials or the same material applied in differentthicknesses, patterns or shapes.

The elastomeric patterns, shape or other elements may range in thicknessabove the surface of a base fabric. A suitable range that allows for thefunctions noted above is from 0.25 mm to 2 mm, or thereabout such rangeend points. Suitable durometers are from 50 C to 55 C.

The outsole portions 17, 19, 117, 119, 217, 219 may also be formed onthe base fabric by applying and fusing elastomeric material. A suitablerange that allows for outsole function for studio or gym activities isfrom 1 mm to 2.5 mm, or thereabout such range end points. Sock shoes foroutdoor activities may have a range of from 2 mm to 5 mm. Suitabledurometers are from 50 C to 65 C.

FIG. 7 illustrates the skeletal structure of a right foot and theperimeter of illustrative outsole portions 317 and 319 in relationthereto. This example illustrates a split-sole sock shoe where theforefoot outsole portion 317 is shorter and wider than the outsoleportion of the typical prior art, thus creating a flatter and broaderplatform on which to pivot. The shorter and wider profile also providesbetter protection over the areas where protection is most needed. Theforefoot outsole portion 317 is disposed mainly in the forefoot section11 of the foot. The shape of the forefoot outsole portion 317, coversapproximately the width of a foot from about at least the first fourmetatarsal heads to about the rears of those metatarsals and has asubstantially kidney-like shape. The forefoot outsole portion underliesapproximately the forefoot section of the foot, corresponding to the toesection and the ball section of the sock shoe. However, the kidney-likeshaped outsole portion covers less of the metatarsals towards themid-section of the sock shoe, compared with the outsoles of the typicalprior art sock shoe. The length of forefoot outsole portion 317 runsalong a longitudinal line L of the foot/sock shoe. The forefoot outsoleportion may leave as much as possible of the midfoot uncovered withoutsole material, while still covering at least four metatarsal headswhen the person wearing the foot covering is in demi-position andprovide traction when the person wearing the foot covering stands on aflat surface. The length of the forefoot outsole portion extends fromjust proximal (at about line F, FIG. 7 ) the metatarsal heads to aboutthe second proximal row of phalanges (at about line E, FIG. 7 ). Theforefoot outsole 317 is positioned relative to the foot so that theoutsole protects the widest part of the foot, which is associated withthe metatarsal heads on which weight-bearing moves occur.

Usually but optionally, the shoe sock may also have a second or heeloutsole portion 319, which is positioned, for example, at the heelsection 13 of the ground-facing surface 7 of the compartment 3. Theforefoot and heel outsole portions are spaced from one another toaccommodate changes to the foot as the foot moves through variouspositions. The exact distances between the outsoles of the forefoot andheel may vary depending upon the size and shape of the foot.Additionally, the exact geometric shape of the outsoles may also vary inresponse to several factors such as the size of the foot.

In particular, the length of outsole 317 is substantially situated inthe area of the metatarsal-phalangeal joints, along a metatarsal line Nand between two parallel lines E and F, which run perpendicular to thelongitudinal line L. Line E is located at the distal end of the foot,approximately at the joining of the first and second rows of thephalanges; while line F is located towards the proximal end of theforefoot. The distal end of outsole portion 317 touches line E,approximately at the intersection of line E and longitudinal line L. Theproximal side of outsole portion touches line F. Thus, the forefootoutsole portion 317 covers almost all of the metatarsal heads and thesecond proximal row of phalanges. As illustrated in 7, outsole portion317 covers at least four of the five metatarsal bones.

Similarly, the location of the heel outsole portion 319 at the heelsection 13 is determined by lines G and H, running perpendicular to thelongitudinal line L of the foot. Line G is located at the heel sectiontowards the distal end of the foot, while line H is located at the heelsection towards the proximal end of the foot. The distal tip of heeloutsole portion 319 touches line G. The proximal end of the outsoleportion touches line H. Overall, the heel outsole portion in thisembodiment has a substantially kidney-like shaped area that underliesthe talus of the foot.

The sock shoe 1 may be held on a foot by an elastic topline 9, as shownin FIGS. 1-2 . The topline 9 defines a foot opening in the compartment3. When placing the foot into sock shoe 1, the topline 9 may bestretchable to enlarge the size of the foot opening. In the embodimentof FIG. 3 , an elastic strap 208 that goes over an instep helps securethe sock shoe to a foot. In other embodiments, the sock shoe might havea drawstring or other binding around the topline 9.

Although not shown in the embodiments, the topline or other innersurface of a foot compartment 3 may include a strip or pattern ofelastomeric material that is configured for direct contact with the skinor sock of the dancer's foot. Such elastomeric material may help keepthe sock shoe in place even if it becomes moist, e.g., as the usersweats, or generally provide a grippy, anti-slip foot engagement.

According to a possible embodiment of the inventive subject matter, thesock shoes are symmetrical and interchangeable for use on left or rightfoot.

While the foot compartment contemplated herein are typically made usinga single ply of a lightweight fabric for a sock-like fit and effect, andis free of boards or other stiffening materials, such as foam midsolesor shanks. However, multiple plies of a thin material may still give thesame fit and effect.

The outsole portions may be made of a thin, flexible material that ismore rugged than the fabric for the foot compartment and would typicallybe formed of a durable material for ground contact, such as natural orsynthetic rubber, KPU, TPU, and natural or synthetic leather. Suchmaterials may include patterns, finishes or textures to enhance tractionor to provide for low friction in the case of some shows where spinningor sliding might be desirable.

FIG. 3 shows a sock shoe 201 with toe openings 31 for some or all toesat a distal end. The sock shoe may have 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 toe openings.The patterns of FIGS. 6A-6B show top and bottom toe opening portions31A, 31B that join to form a complete opening 31. The top portion 205may optionally include small cutouts 33 that may be inserted with a moreelastic material than the rest of the top portion. The cutouts shown areV-shaped with the top of the V at the distal end of the top portion. Byinserting an elastic material in the cut-outs, the toe openings have anelastic webbing section to better the sock shoe to the foot of theintended user.

The openings 31 may be formed directly in the distal end of the footcompartment so as to expose the full toe or they may be sleeves thatextend from the compartment. The sleeves may have varying lengths toexpose varying portions of a toe. The openings help allow a user's toesto directly contact the under surface to help find equal weightdistribution throughout the foot and to flex, grip, pointe, and have afull range of toe movement. A toe sleeve for the big (first) toe may belonger than sleeves of the second to fifth toes (if any). In someembodiments, only the tip of the distal end of the big toe may beexposed. In some embodiments, toe sleeves may have some elasticity thatallows comfortably receiving and conforming to the toes of a wearer. Toesleeves may be formed of an elastic upper portion and an inelastic,wear-resistant outsole of a suede material that are connected togetherto complete a sleeve. In some embodiments, a separate piece of meshmaterial may be attached between the toe openings, for example bystitching an insert of mesh material in between the toes. Such insertsmay be inserted as an additional strip of mesh material or a V-shapedmaterial covering the sides of the toes and in between the toes. In someembodiments, a stretchable mesh may be stitched to the mesh upper andsuede sole to form the wall of the sleeve in between toes.

For example, during pilates exercises, a foot covering with one or moreexposed toes, according to the inventive subject matter, allows curlingof the toes and arches, and flexing of the toes, while also providing asecure feeling of the floor or work out apparatus.

The sole of the foot covering optionally may further have a cushioningmaterial underneath at least a portion of the sole. The cushioningmaterial may be positioned between an outer layer and an inner layer offoot covering 2. It may me a thin layer of polymeric foam, such asfoamed EVA or PU.

The foot compartment's upper and/or sole portion of the foot may includeventilation holes or breathing holes or perforations. For example, thetop and bottom portions of the compartment may have a mesh structurewith predetermined hole sizes to allow for breathability in areas notcovered by solid outsole material. In some embodiments, ventilationholes may be provided to the layer of gripping material as well.Ventilation holes or perforations may be grouped in zones.

The inventive subject matter disclosed herein also contemplatesmanufacturing of the protective footwear by assembling parts in themanners disclosed. The following is one possible set of steps:

-   -   Aluminum plates are milled with patterns and shapes of the        elastomeric materials that will be applied to a base fabric.    -   KPU liquid is then squeegeed onto the surface of the plate, to        fill the milled-out design, and vacuumed to remove air bubbles.    -   The plates are sent through a heated conveyor and any excess KPU        is then cleaned off of the plate    -   Flattened fabric for the foot compartment is then placed between        the heated plates and put into a heated hydraulic press for time        sufficient to fuse the elastomeric material to the base fabric.    -   The fabric part is now a unitary, single layer structure that is        removed from the plates.    -   The part is then assembled to one or more other fabric parts        (which may or may not also have been coated with elastomeric        material) to form a completed foot compartment.

Looking at possible steps for assembling the parts, the inventivesubject matter contemplates steps of forming a sole sock by forming acompartment for receiving a foot using a footwear last. The compartmentis formed on the last by placing on the last a top portion and a bottomportion of the compartment with alignment of complementary edges andjoining the edges of top and bottom portions together using stitching orother known means of joining fabrics.

Persons skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications andvariations are possible in the details, materials, and arrangements ofthe parts and actions which have been described and illustrated in orderto explain the nature of the inventive subject matter, and that suchmodifications and variations do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe teachings and claims contained therein.

All patent and non-patent literature cited herein is hereby incorporatedby references in its entirety for all purposes.

As used herein, “and/or” means “and” or “or”, as well as “and” and “or.”Moreover, any and all patent and non-patent literature cited herein ishereby incorporated by references in its entirety for all purposes.

The principles described above in connection with any particular examplecan be combined with the principles described in connection with any oneor more of the other examples. Accordingly, this detailed descriptionshall not be construed in a limiting sense, and following a review ofthis disclosure, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate thewide variety of systems that can be devised using the various conceptsdescribed herein. Moreover, those of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein can beadapted to various configurations without departing from the disclosedprinciples.

The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided toenable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosedinnovations. Various modifications to those embodiments will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles definedherein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from thespirit or scope of this disclosure. Thus, the claimed inventions are notintended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but are to beaccorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims,wherein reference to an element in the singular, such as by use of thearticle “a” or “an” is not intended to mean “one and only one” unlessspecifically so stated, but rather “one or more”.

Unless context indicates otherwise, all numerical range values providedare inclusive of not only the end points of ranges but any points inbetween, and any ranges in between the end points.

All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the variousembodiments described throughout the disclosure that are known or latercome to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are intended tobe encompassed by the features described and claimed herein. Moreover,nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the publicregardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in theclaims. No claim element is to be construed as “a means plus function”claim under U.S. patent law, unless the element is expressly recitedusing the phrase “means for” or “step for”.

The inventor and applicant reserve all rights to the subject matterdisclosed herein, including the right to claim all that comes within thescope and spirit of the following claims:

1. A sock shoe, comprising: a foot compartment formed of a single-layer,unitary structure of a base fabric and an elastomeric coating fused tothe base fabric, the compartment having two tiers of mesh, the firsttier is defined in the base fabric and the second tier is defined in thecoating, the sock shoe being resiliently stretchable and conforming tothe contours of the intended user's foot.
 2. The sock shoe of claim 1wherein the unitary structure represents at least 50% of the surfacearea of the foot compartment.
 3. The sock shoe of claim 1 wherein thebase fabric is a synthetic fabric comprising elastic yarns.
 4. The sockshoe of claim 3 wherein the base fabric is a knit structure.
 5. The sockshoe of claim 1 further comprising one or more patterns or zones ofelastomeric material heat fused to base fabric or unitary structure, thepatterns or zones providing a foot retention function, the elastomericmaterial having relatively less elasticity than the base fabric andforming part of the unitary structure.
 6. The sock shoe of claim 1wherein the pattern is configured to create tension around the user'sinstep and/or at least one side of the foot.
 7. The sock shoe of claim 1wherein the foot compartment is configured to have a topline that fitsunder the ankle of the intended user.
 8. The sock shoe of claim 1wherein the foot compartment is tongueless.
 9. The sock shoe of claim 1wherein the foot compartment is laceless and free of any retentionsystem other than what is inherent in the single-layer, unitarystructure.
 10. The sock shoe of claim 1 further comprising one or moreoutsole portions formed of elastomeric material fused to the base fabricand forming part of the unitary structure.
 11. The sock shoe of claim 1wherein there is a forefoot outsole portion and a rearfoot outsoleportion, and the midfoot is free or substantially free of an outsoleportion.
 12. The sock shoe of claim 1 further comprising an insoleportion formed of elastomeric material fused to the base fabric andforming part of the unitary structure, the insole portion coating thebase fabric in a pattern that provides grippiness and anti-foot slip 13.The sock shoe of claim 1 wherein elastomeric coating on outer surface ofthe foot compartment enhances grippiness for interaction with othersurfaces.
 14. The sock shoe of claim 1 wherein the mesh openings of thesecond tier of the elastomeric coating have a larger area than thefirst-tier mesh openings in the base fabric.
 15. The sock shoe of claim1 wherein the elastomeric coating is configured in a pattern thatprovides selective, anisotropic restriction stretchability of the upperin desired areas.
 16. The sock shoe of claim 15 wherein the elastomericcoating comprises one or more bands extending over the top and sidesshoe that are configured to resiliently stretch when receiving theuser's foot and tension the upper on the user's foot.
 17. The sock shoeof claim 1 wherein the mesh openings in the elastomeric coating are from1 mm to 1.5 mm diameter or width and the mesh opening in the base fabricare 0.5 mm to 0.75 mm diameter or width, when both meshes are understatic (untensioned) conditions.
 18. The sock shoe of claim 1 whereinthe mesh openings of the elastomeric coating have a geometric shapeconfigured for an anisotropic stretch effect.
 19. The sock shoe of claim17 wherein the mesh opening in the elastomeric coating are larger thanthe mesh openings in the base fabric.
 20. The sock shoe of claim 17wherein the openings have a hexagonal shape.
 21. A sock shoe comprising:a single layer of base fabric having a volumetric configuration forreceiving at least a forefoot portion of a user's foot and configuredwith an upper portion for receiving a top portion of the user's foot anda bottom portion for receiving a bottom portion of the intended user'sfoot; the base fabric comprising a woven or knit structure that isresiliently elastic; an elastomeric coating material is fused to thebase fabric in a single-layer unitary structure to provide at least twoof: (i) a retention function, (ii) a durability/foot protectionfunction, (iii) a grip or anti-slip function, and (iv) an outsolefunction; and the bottom portion having an outer-facing,ground-contacting surface and an inner-facing, foot-contacting surface,the ground-contacting surface including at least one outsole portionbeing formed of the fused elastomeric material, and the inner-facing,foot-contacting surface being formed of the fused elastomeric material.22. The sock shoe of claim 21 wherein the sock shoe is substantiallyfree of any outsole portion in a midfoot section of the sock shoe. 23.The sock shoe of claim 22 wherein the outsole portions are disposed inforefoot and rearfoot sections of the shoe.
 24. The sock shoe of claim21 wherein the upper portion of the sock shoe has on its outer surface acoating of the fused elastic material in a pattern configured to providea foot-retention function.
 25. The sock shoe of claim 24 wherein theelastomeric material is deposited in a pattern on the upper portion ofthe sock shoe that extends transverse to the longitudinal axis of thesock shoe thereby being tensionable around the foot of the intended userand retentive to the foot.
 26. The sock shoe of claim 25 wherein theelastomeric material is applied to the outer surface of the sock shoeand thereby also provides a grippy areas for a user to engage othersurfaces.
 27. The sock shoe of claim 21 wherein the sock shoe has atopline comprising fused elastomeric material configured to provide afoot-retention function.
 28. The sock shoe of claim 27 furthercomprising a toe cap formed of the fused elastomeric material to providedurability and toe protection.
 29. The sock shoe of claim 1 wherein thedistal portion of the sock shoe includes one or more toe openings toexpose some or all of an intended user's toes.
 30. The sock shoe ofclaim 29 wherein the toe openings include an elastic web structure thattensions around the toe or toes of the intended user.
 31. The sock shoeof claim 1 wherein the sock shoe does not include a rearfoot sectionand/or a midfoot/rearfoot sections.